CHRISTMAS PROJECTS

I finished the Christmas table runner that I showed you in my last post.  I was happy to have the paper piecing finished!  And I'm happy with the finished product!  It's a large table runner - 22" x 47".

An indoor picture that shows the quilting a little better.  I used a lot of different green fabrics for the trees.

This one shows the backing and binding better.

Next, I worked on finishing a lap quilt measuring 60" square.  It is made with scrappy strip 8" blocks and solid red for the sashing and border.  Whenever it comes to quilting, I usually don't have any idea how I plan to quilt it until the time comes.  I decided to just quilt wavy lines across the whole quilt not including the border.  I wanted something nice for the border, so I went to Pinterest and didn't see anything there, but I did see some of Lori Kennedy's designs.  I remembered that I had torn out some pages of her designs from my American Quilter issues, so I found this one that I thought would be good - if I could do it.

I decided to try it on some scraps.

I tried another one of her designs also:

I liked the holly one better, so tried it on the red fabric with green thread.

Lori's instructions are so good and she breaks the design down in steps.  If you haven't tried any of them, you should check out her website at lorikennedyquilts.com .  She has many design there.  I'm so happy that she shares these in her blog and in magazines.  If you haven't joined the American Quilters Society, it is well worth it.  Their magazine comes out 6 times per year.

Here is a picture of quilting the design on the actual quilt border.

And a picture of a section of the quilt.

Thanks to Lori Kennedy for helping quilters like me!!  

A NEW PROJECT AND UNSEWING

I found the Yuletide Forest pattern in McCall's Quilting Magazine, November/December 2017 issue, and saved it.  The main problem with it is that all the trees are paper pieced and I really don't like PP. However, I really liked the table runner, so decided to make it for our coffee table.

Here it is on my design wall, not sewn together and the paper is still on the trees.  The second tree on the right has to be fixed as I accidentally cut off the seam allowance.

This is a close-up.  There are 2 of each red fabric for the 4-patches.  For the trees, I used a variety of green fabrics.

This is the offending tree block.

This morning I decided I needed to sew some velcro onto Abby's unicorn pillow to get it finished for her birthday and the first strip that I sewed on had black thread on the bottom (which is actually the outside of the pillow), so that won't do.  Another need for the much used seam ripper

My craft show last weekend was quite successful and there is another one tomorrow.  Is it really the middle of November already???  I better check out my inventory of Christmas gifts that I have purchased this year and see what else I need to get.  Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?  

A VISITOR FROM NYC WITH ANTIQUE BLOCKS

One of my cousins came to visit from New York City!!  She and her hubby had never been to Oregon before and were on their way to a conference in Newport.  We were able to spend most of one day together.  Of course, I had to clean house first !!  But, we were so busy talking she probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't cleaned.  They came over for dinner and besides myself and DH, our son & grandson were here.  We didn't stop talking until they had to leave.

Sometime, in the past, she bought these blocks at a sale in New Hampshire (probably 40 years ago) and she never got around to sewing them together (nothing new there, right?).  I thought some of you might have a guess as to when these fabrics were made.  I'm thinking 30s.  There are 49 of the X blocks.

There are 12 9-patch blocks and a lot of them have pieced sections like this one.

Then there are these appliquéd panels, but they are not finished either.  They are appliquéd on a printed panel and there are stains as well.  Maybe I can cut out the good sections and make something out of them.

This one has pieces pinned to where they go - and I'm sure they have been pinned for at least 40 years!  I don't know what I will do with these.  She said I can do whatever I want to do.

 During the summer I started these socks for my 2 younger grandsons (ages 8 and 11).  I just finished them and sent them with their Halloween cards.

I have been very busy sewing for Christmas craft shows, so I haven't done much blogging.  Thanks for visiting!

CHRISTMAS QUILT FINISHED

 I finished the Christmas quilt that was made from a kit.  This is just about the first time that I didn't wash the fabric before sewing it together.  The fabric was cut into pieces, some of which were pretty small, but other were large.  I just started cutting it up without thinking too much about it.  Then, when I was pressing some blocks, it seemed like the red would stick to the iron and move over to the lighter color.  I was afraid it would bleed, so I tested some red and white together in water and it didn't bleed.

My first post about this was September 12.  I had the blocks done but not sewn together.  Last week I was reading Barb's blog and she was showing a finished quilt - just awesome - and showed how she washes it in her bath tub.  She had some bleeding and needed to fix that.  I have also read in other blogs that some quilters wash their quilt as soon as they finish it.  I rarely do that.  Now I'm wondering if that is something a lot of quilters do.

Anyway, I decided to wash this one in my tub because I wanted to be sure that it wouldn't bleed as I plan to sell it and my washing machine doesn't have a gentle cycle (well, it has it, but it certainly isn't very gentle).  I used 2 color catchers and some Dawn.  I soaked it for a couple hours and rinsed it a couple times, then put it in the washing machine to spin and dryer it in the clothes dryer.  It came out perfect!

Here' a close up of the appliquéd ornament in the center.

This is the backing fabric and you can see the quilting better.  I quilted it with a goldfish thread on top and bottom.  The backing fabric is dark green with light green and gold dotted lines.

Another project that will be for me is this wool appliqué wall hanging.  I really need to get it finished or I won't be able to use it this year.  All the pieces are stitched down by machine and I just need to do a little hand embroidery and find some more buttons to sew onto the backing on the sides.

My cousin from New York and her hubby is in town this weekend - her first time to visit Oregon!  We will be spending the day with them today and then they will be going to Newport, on the coast for a conference.  I rarely get to see her, so this is great!!

Please let me know if you wash your quilts as soon as you finish them - and why.  Do you wash the fabric before hand?

Here's a couple pictures of the beautiful fall trees in the area.

 I love fall!!

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

I haven't posted for a while, so here is the finished HST lap quilt measuring 60" square.

I quilted it with hooked swirls from Angela Walters book "Free-Motion Quilting."  The border has feathers.

I need to make some Christmas items to sell, so I got out the bin containing all my left over flannels and Christmas fabrics.  In it there were some strips of pink and black flannel that was super soft.  It was just enough to make a doll quilt.

Among lots of scraps and larger sized pieces, I found these 2 strips that were on the side of a panel of winter birds.  I made place mats out of the birds part of the panel, but didn't use these cute bird houses.  So, I think I will make 2 narrow wall hangings out of these.  Not sure how I will do it yet.  I'll put some sort of border around them.

I'm also working on these wall hangings that I am making out of my Grandma's tulip blocks that I have shown you before.  I have written to my cousins and some of them have responded, so I am going to send some of these to them.  On the back I'm putting a label about my Grandma.  She was always making something:  pajamas for her grandchildren, crocheted pot holders. knitting mittens, tatting on handkerchiefs, etc.

I just quilted this one and need to bind it.

This one is partially quilted, except for the blue corners.  I really love the triangle of blue and orange flour sack fabric under the tulip.

Saturday I was a vendor at a craft/quilt show and my friend and I have 4 or 5 more lined up for November and December.    On Tuesday I had oral surgery for the 3rd time on the same tooth (endodontic treatment).  Ugh - what an ordeal!  Hopefully, this time will do the job.

Fall is here and the trees are beautiful!!

DESIGN WALL

I've been busy quilting and piecing lately.  When I got the top of the unicorn pillow finished, I figured I might as well go ahead and finish it, so now I am ahead on my birthday gift for DGD Abby who will be 11 right after Christmas.  I decided to give her the pillow for her birthday so that her friends will be there when she opens it!

I wasn't sure how I was going to quilt it and just started by quilting around the unicorn head.  Sometimes when I don't know what I will do, it helps to just get started with something.  I thought that wiggly lines of quilting down the mane strips would work.

Here's a close up of the head.

 The backing fabric is by Tula Pink.  Can you see the unicorns in it?

A closer up picture of the unicorn in the fabric.  I quilted the back with cross hatching.

Then on Sunday I decided to get busy and start on this Christmas quilt and I cut out all the pieces.  This was a kit (by Maywood Studio) and I hardly ever buy quilt kits.  All the pieced blocks are done and the next step is to stitch around the appliqué pieces.  I'll use a blanket stitch on my machine.  The setting triangles aren't cut yet, but it's a gold fabric.  I will have to buy the backing fabric.

My married DGD has been in town this week and she went to my quilt guild meeting with me.  She really enjoyed it!  The program was presented by a special speaker from Quilts For Empowerment, a group that works with women in Kenya.  My DGD went on a mission trip for 2 weeks to the same area of Kenya and spent 7 years early in her life in Africa, so the program was of special interest to her.  She has also been helping me with some hand sewing.  I love having her here.

DH had a new pacemaker installed yesterday, so I spent all morning at the hospital.  It went well for him and I got some knitting done while there.  Today he is having quite a bit of pain, so I hope that will subside soon.

COLUMBIA RIVER AND QUILT BLOCKS

On Wednesday DH and I met my BIL/SIL at Cascade Locks, Oregon to go on a 5 hour cruise of part of the Columbia River.  We got there kind of early, so drove around the town a little.  I noticed a quilt block on the museum and as we continued down the road, there were lots of quilt blocks on houses, etc.  (didn't see any barns).  What a pleasant surprise!  I wondered who organized the placement of so many blocks.  I suppose there are a lot of quilters in town.  It's a small town and we didn't see a quilt shop or I would have wanted to stop to see if they knew.  Anyway, here are some of the quilt blocks that we saw.  The first 2 were on the same house.

This one was in front of city hall!

 Unfortunately, some of the photos didn't turn out very well and then I forgot to take a picture of the one on the museum.

This is the boat that we went on - it's a sternwheeler (paddle boat).

It was a beautiful day and the scenery was awesome!

Now, for what is on my design wall.  I showed the pattern for this unicorn pillow (or quilt) here.  I'm making it for my DGD for either Christmas or her 11th birthday (which is 3 days after Christmas).  The pillow will be 26" square.

I wouldn't want to make a whole quilt with 9 of these blocks!  It was fun, but kind of tedious.  I want to get it finished in plenty of time.

I think our weather is going to change now.  Next week the forecast is for highs in the 70s!  Yea!!